Lifting weights fires up your metabolism and encourages your body to burn more calories during exercise and even when it’s at rest. The amount of calories you burn without doing any physical activity is directly proportional to your muscle mass. This means that an increase in muscle mass will naturally boost your metabolism. In other words, your body will burn more calories even when you aren’t doing any physical activity.

Afterburning effects

Weight lifting is also a powerful afterburner, thanks to a process known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This refers to your fat oxidation after a weight lifting session, when you’ll burn fat at a much higher rate than usual. During exercise, calories are burned to fuel your workout, and after a weight lifting session your body continues burning calories at a high rate. This happens because your body works to repair your damaged muscle fibers, resume glycogen storage in the muscles (stored carbohydrate) and carry out other recovery processes in the body. All these post-exercise functions will require energy and the good news is that your body will fuel itself with stored fat. In summary: your body continues to burn fat at a high rate AFTER a weight training session, for muscle recovery. Studies have shown that your metabolism can remain stimulated for up to 48 hours after lifting weights!

Training large muscle groups, such as your legs or back, during weight lifting sessions can also burn more calories than some cardio sessions. The added bonus of doing lots of squats and lunges is that not only will you burn a high number of calories during your workout, but you’ll also keep burning fat afterwards.

Eat more and still transform your body

Lifting weights also boosts your caloric expenditure, meaning you get to eat more and still transform your body. When fitness models want to sculpt lean muscle they increase their calories to encourage muscle growth. If you simply eat more without lifting weights, the extra calories might end up being stored as fat.

All goals should incorporate weight training programs

Whether you want to burn fat, build muscle or maintain a good level of health, you should be strength training regularly. The issues above highlight why training with weights is essential to any fat loss program and why it accelerates your fat loss. Regardless of whether or not you’re a beginner or if you can or can’t afford a personal trainer, everyone can master the basics and train themselves.